Harvey TODD [Parents] was born 13 Mar 1801. He died 6 Oct 1866.
Harvey Todd7, (John6, John5, John4, John3, John2, Christopher1)
born March 13, 1801, at Stamford, Conn., died Oct. 16, 1866, at
Adrian, Mich., married in Norwalk, Conn., July 6, 1825, Maria
Nash, who was born April 21, 1803, in Norwalk, Conn., died Sept.
21, 1870, at Adrian, Mich.
He had the following children:
Waldo Brooks BRAINERD [Parents] was born 23 Jul 1880 in Bloomer, WI. He died 9 Aug 1970 in Bruce, Rusk County, WI and was buried in Bruce Cemetery, Bruce, WI. Waldo married Mary Emily MURRAY on 6 Jun 1905 in Hayward, WI.
The following is taken from Waldo's autobiographical notes, provided by his daughter Hazel.
When I lived at the Oak Grove stopping place (near Amacoy Lake, on the bank of the Chippewa) there was a stage route from Cartright
(now New Auburn) to Wallace Postoffice up at the foot of Belisle Falls. The stage driver was Rufus Harding. He and I were great chums. When I was five years old he took me along. I can remember stopping at the Shamrock hotel in Bruce. At that time Bruce was the end of the rails. They were building the bridge over the Chippewa at that time. The Shamrock was a log building just north of where the IGA store is now. He also stopped at the Johnson Place, where the 4H camp is now. We stopped at the Grand Rapids house for dinner. D.W. Blackburn was running it at that time. We then went on 14 more miles to the Harmon House where we stayed overnight. The Wallace postoffice was there. The next day we returned to Oak Grove, and the next day Rufus went back to Cartright, one round trip a weekIn 1884 they built the logging road from the Chippewa River to Potato Lake. The engine and rails were hauled from Bloomer by
teams.When I was six years old our teacher took us on an outing. We rode a train from the river to Potato Lake. On the return trip
there were several Russell cars loaded with logs. Us kids thought it was quite an adventure.When I was 7 or 8 years old the river drive was upriver. A man was drowned. They didn't take time to look for him. About a
week later they found him a mile north of our house. They floated him down and tied him in an eddy. He was tied there five days. I can remember going in a boat with father, someone went morning and evening to see if he was still there. Finally father got Gust Nater, a JP, and they held an inquest.Across the river from us was the Andrew Hill family. When I was 6 or 7 years old all the children became sick with diptheria.
There were no doctors and the five children all died.In 1891 we moved to Murry and took over the Murry Stopping Place. Father had a store there, and the Murry postoffice. There were nine in our family. I was the seventh. They all spent their lives around Bruce except one brother went to Oregon and died out there.
I have done about everything in my lifetime. Logger, river driver,farmer, also scaled logs. I was town clerk of Atlanta for 25
years. That was the time I was trying to make a living farming with milk at $2.00 a cwt, dressed pork at $.05/lb, and potatoes $.25/bushel.
Mary Emily MURRAY [Parents] was born 9 Jul 1884 in Murry, Rusk county, WI. She died 23 Oct 1974 in Ladysmith, Wis. Mary married Waldo Brooks BRAINERD on 6 Jun 1905 in Hayward, WI.
Marriage Notes:
MARRIAGE: Vivian remembers that the Wedding cermony took place Charles and
Elsie Gordons off Highway O northwest of Bruce.
They had the following children:
M i Lyman Waldo BRAINERD was born 8 May 1911 and died 19 Aug 1991. F ii Helen Elizabeth BRAINERD was born 15 Jan 1906 and died 23 Mar 1971. F iii Hazel Isabelle BRAINERD was born 14 Apr 1907 and died 16 Nov 2001. F iv Margaret Esther BRAINERD was born 12 Apr 1909 and died 16 Dec 2001. F v Marion Lucille BRAINERD M vi Thomas Harland BRAINERD was born 2 Jan 1922 and died 15 Jul 1978. F vii Josephine Madeline BRAINERD F viii Dorothy Mae BRAINERD was born 23 Mar 1926 in Bruce, Rusk County, WI. She died Mar 1928 in Bruce, Rusk County, WI.
Lester DAVIS [Parents] was born 11 Oct 1890 in Waukon, IA. He died 25 Apr 1968 in Ladysmith, Wis and was buried 29 Apr 1968 in Bruce Cemetery, Bruce, WI. Lester married Cecile Glendover GORDON on 6 Dec 1912 in Waukon, IA.
Lester's WWI draft registration shows him as a farmer in Allamakee county (Postville) Iowa. He claimed exemption as the sole support of wife and one child.
Cecile Glendover GORDON [Parents] was born 8 Jun 1893 in Luverne, Minn. She died 4 Nov 1984 in Ladysmith, Wis. Cecile married Lester DAVIS on 6 Dec 1912 in Waukon, IA.
Census:
1900 - Residence: 1900 - Post, Allamakee, Iowa
1910 - Residence: 1910 - Post, Allamakee, Iowa
1920 - Residence: 1920 - Post, Allamakee, Iowa
1925 - residence: 1925 - Postville, Iowa
1930 - Residence: 1930 - Atlanta, Rusk, Wisconsin
They had the following children:
F i Vivian Delma DAVIS was born 7 Mar 1915 and died 3 May 1999. M ii Robert DAVIS
Benjamin Franklin BRAINERD [Parents] was born 16 Dec 1835 in New Sharon, Maine. He died 9 Nov 1920 in Island Lake, Chippewa Cty, WI. Benjamin married Josephine Annetta LANE on 6 Sep 1865 in Brooks, Maine.
Benjamin Franklin Brainerd came to Wisconsin in 1855. He and Josephine were married by Rev. Humphrey Small of the Free
Will Baptist Church at Brooks, Maine. He served in the Civil War for 18 months in the 1st, 21st, and 3rd Regiments of the Wis Infantry
and had an honorable discharge; he was not wounded or otherwise injured. He was a hotel proprietor, a merchant, and a lumberman in the
winter and a farmer in the summer. In 1889 he lived in Big Bend, Chippewa County, Wisconsin.
(The following is taken from Waldo Brooks autobiographical
notes)
After BF and Josephine were married they came to the homestead, and farmed there until in September 1881 they moved to the Oak Grove
stopping place south of Bruce near Amacoy Lake right on the bank of the Chippewa River. There was a post office there named Emet.
BF was postmaster.(The following is taken from "Cracker Barrel News and Views" in a local paper)
Benjamin Franklin Brainerd was a landowner in the township of Bloomer. He resided at the north end of Durch's Pond in 1890. He then moved to Amacoy, where he operated a stopping place on the Chippewa River.(From the Commemorative Biographical Record of the Upper Lakes Region by J.H. Beers & Co, published 1905): "BENJAMIN F BRA1NERD, postmaster at Murry Wis is one of the few remaining pioneer settlers of Chippewa and Rusk counties, having made his advent into Chippewa Falls in April 1857. Mr Brainerd was born Dec 16, 1835, in Franklin county Maine, son of William Brainerd. His education was obtained in the district schools and he remained in Franklin county until 1855 when he went west to Minnesota going by way of Chicago and Dubuque at which time the latter place was the remotest western railroad point. The country was unsettled between Dubuque and St Paul and Minneapolis, the latter magnificent city then being but a small village. He remained one year in St Paul and then went to lumbering in the woods on the west shores of Rum river for a year. In 1857 he settled in Chippewa county Wis, fourteen miles north of Chippewa Falls, which place was then composed of a few cabins and a sawmill the latter being under the operation of HS Allen the pioneer settler. There was one small store in the place which was managed by Fred Bussey and James A Taylor but no postoffice the mail being sent on boats from Reed's Landing.
Mr Brainerd pre-empted 220 acres land upon which he built a cabin out of poplar logs paying five dollars a day for a team to do the hauling from Eau Claire. He was accompanied by his brother James who also pre-empted land and the settlers were William Taylor Thomas Cunningham and Alexander Boyer, the latter having settled there in the previous year. The locality was a prairie of considerable extent and was known as Bloomer prairie. A few settlers had located on Eagle Prairie this being the first settlement in his place permanent home residing on it until the breaking out of the Civil War when in 1863 he enlisted in Company G 21st Wis VI and his service continued until the close of the war. His regiment was a part of the army of General Sherman and his company joined the same at Chattanooga later participating in all of the battles of the subsequent campaign leading to Atlanta. Mr Brainerd belonged to that valiant band which survived fire for loo days and he took part in all the engagements around Atlanta. His regiment was a part of the victorious army that reached the Sea and he was also at Jonesboro Station in the battles of Bentonville and Averysboro and he marched on to Washington for the memorable Grand Review and was honorably discharged at Madison in 1865. During this long term of had many narrow escapes on one occasion at Kenesaw Mountain his tent was shot from over him and carried entirely away He however escaped serious injury although many months went by before before he had entirely recovered from the strain of exposure and long marching.
Returning to Chippewa County he resumed farming on his own property until twenty three years ago when he moved to what is now known as Oak Grove where he opened a store, kept a hotel, was appointed postmaster and was the leading man of affairs in this locality; but thirteen years ago he came to Murry. While living in Chippewa county he served in a number of official positions, was postmaster of Emmet, town clerk, treasurer, and county chairman. He served as postmaster for twenty two consecutive terms before coming to Murry where he has also officiated. Since coming here Mr Brainerd has carried on extensive farming and large operations in stockraising and lumbering. He is conducting a hostelry also on the Chippewa river some twelve miles north of Bruce.
Mr Brainerd has always voted with the Republican party and cast his first presidential vote for Gen John C Fremont in 1856. He has always been prominent in party affairs and has many times been a delegate to the conventions. While residing at Oak Grove he was chairman in the town of Big Bend which included all the country in Rusk county west of the Chippewa river and he served also as township clerk and treasurer.
In September 1865 Mr Brainerd was married to Miss Josephine Lane and they have had a family of ten children Mrs Brainerd is a lady of great executive ability and has been very prominent in the work of the Woman's Relief Corps. Fraternally Mr Brainerd has membership in E.A. Coburn Post No 62 GAR He has a wide acquaintance with the people of Chippewa and Rusk counties for forty seven years being prominently identified with the social and business interests of the Chippewa Valley country.
Josephine Annetta LANE [Parents] was born 6 Sep 1843 in Brooks, Maine. She died 26 Sep 1914 in Ladysmith, Rusk County, WI. Josephine married Benjamin Franklin BRAINERD on 6 Sep 1865 in Brooks, Maine.
They had the following children:
M i Waldo Brooks BRAINERD was born 23 Jul 1880 and died 9 Aug 1970. F ii Mary Chase BRAINERD was born 25 Aug 1866. M iii Frank Nelson BRAINERD was born 29 Jul 1868 and died 1925. M iv Eugene William BRAINERD was born 4 Jun 1870 in Bloomer, WI. He died 5 Dec 1894. M v Samuel Washington BRAINERD was born 23 Aug 1872 in Bloomer, WI. He died May 1874. F vi Josie Evelyn BRAINERD was born 30 Jan 1875 in Bloomer, WI. She died 12 Dec 1886 in Big Bend, Wi. M vii Charles Michael BRAINERD was born 29 Dec 1877. M viii Phillip Ashton BRAINERD was born 24 Nov 1883 and died 23 Aug 1953. F ix Clara Margaret BRAINERD was born 8 Nov 1885 and died 9 Aug 1921.
Floyd VILLIARD [Parents]
Judith Katherine BRAINERD [Parents]
They had the following children:
F i Brenda Louise VILLIARD M ii Jeffrey Glenn VILLIARD M iii Bruce Anthony VILLIARD
Jo Anne Gwendolyn BRAINERD [Parents]
They had the following children:
F i Susan Michelle THORSFELDT M ii Daniel Robert THORSFELDT
David Waldo BRAINERD [Parents]
Other marriages:GREISE, Anneke Lynn
BIRDWELL, Linda Gayle
They had the following children:
F i Teresa BRAINERD
David Waldo BRAINERD [Parents]
Other marriages:ROSE, Dawn Marie
BIRDWELL, Linda Gayle
They had the following children:
F i Lila Heather BRAINERD F ii Alicia Vivian BRAINERD
David Waldo BRAINERD [Parents]
Other marriages:ROSE, Dawn Marie
GREISE, Anneke Lynn
Linda Gayle BIRDWELL [Parents]
Other marriages:HARRIS, William Baxter Jr.
Galen Michael BRAINERD [Parents]
Lynette BROWN [Parents]
They had the following children:
F i Brittany Kay BRAINERD M ii Benjamin Franklin BRAINERD was born 18 Jan 1987 in Rice Lake, Barron County, WI. He died 30 Nov 2008 in Kennebec, SD.